BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Immediate past governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar may have fallen into another troubled water he may have gotten enmeshed in while in office as he now needs to work hard to swim out to safety and away from anti-corruption agencies.
This followed the filing of three fresh petitions by the Bauchi State Coalition Against Financial Crimes and Injustice (BACAFCI) against Abubakar before the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of fraud, financial misappropriation and abuse of office.
A statement by the Chairman of BACAFCI, Mallam Bibi Dogo on Tuesday said the organisation has filed three different petitions which it wants the anti-graft agencies to investigate.
Dogo further said; “We have filed a petition titled; “Financial scams in the procurement of fertilizer” where over N2 billion was siphoned, We have filed a petition before the EFCC for a suspected fraudulent payment of N5,028,249,914,00. We have also filed a petition in the name of purchase of fake shares for the 20 local government areas to the tune of N250,000,000 and we have uncovered a fraudulent payment of N1,659,209.79 via ministry of finance cheque to Mauritz Walton”.
Dogo also saied that there was a report of a suspicious scam between the former Governor Abubakar and Agro allied Company Limited in the name of purchase of shares for the 20 LGAs at the cost of N250,000,000 alleging that fake certificates was issued to the councils on 31/10/2018.
BACAFCI Chairman who was a member of the State Asset and Recovery Committee said that the Ministry for Local Government signed the agreement between the company and the councils but later discovered by the State Auditor General for Local Government and when the present administration of Senator Bala Mohammed asked the asset and recovery committee to recover the sum of N246, 829, 000 out of the money from the company because till date no share certificates have been issued to the councils.
Dogo said that the committee invited the management of the company Messrs Holyphant and agro allied Company Limited and reached an agreement that they will pay the money but to date they have refused to pay.
He also alleged that without any agreement for consultancy, the former governor directed the payment of over N5bn amounting to 15% Paris club refunds to Mauritz Walton and on 21/12/2016 the sum of N1, 640, 659, 209, 79 was again paid to the company without following due process.
He said that officials of the EFCC and ICPC confirmed that they have received the petitions on the 3rd and 7th July 2020 and they are studying the petitions for necessary action.
But a close aide to the former governor said that it was a mere political witch-hunt against Abubakar, whom he said served the State with patriotism and commitment, adding that the former governor committed nothing wrong while in office.
He said that Abubakar is ever ready and available to answer any allegation made against him.
